Artem Zub Leaves Game With Upper-Body Injury
Things continue to get worse in terms of the amount of personnel available for the Ottawa Senators. Defenseman Artem Zub left Thursday’s game against Los Angeles with an upper-body injury, and head coach D.J. Smith says there’s “no update” on his status.
Ottawa is already without nine players due to COVID-19 protocol, including defensemen Nikita Zaitsev, Josh Brown, Victor Mete, and Nick Holden. The team is down to just nine healthy defensemen under NHL contracts now, as Jacob Bernard-Docker, Maxence Guenette, and Jonathan Aspirot remain with AHL Belleville.
The team’s depth is stretched extremely thin, as many young players are now getting NHL time sooner than expected. 2019 first-round selection Lassi Thomson made his NHL debut Thursday in place of Zaitsev.
If Zub is to miss any period of time, Bernard-Docker is the obvious choice to come up from Belleville. The 21-year-old right-shot defenseman does not require waivers and got into five games with the Senators at the tail end of last season.
Zub himself was having a great start to the 2021-22 season, notching five assists in 12 games while working his way up to the team’s top pairing with Thomas Chabot. He’s been Ottawa’s most responsible defenseman since joining the team prior to 2020-21, now averaging nearly 23 minutes a night this season.
Alex Formenton, Matt Murray, Nikita Zaitsev Placed In COVID Protocol
5:27 pm: Per the Senators’ communications team, defenseman Nikita Zaitsev has also been placed in COVID-19 protocol just a half-hour ahead of Thursday’s game. Lassi Thomson will make his NHL debut tonight in place of Zaitsev.
9:35 am: Another day, another pair of unavailable players for the Ottawa Senators. The team has announced that Alex Formenton and Matt Murray have been placed in the COVID protocol. Andrew Agozzino, Dillon Heatherington, and Lassi Thomson have all been recalled from the AHL as tonight’s game is still currently scheduled to proceed.
Formenton and Murray join a growing list of players in the protocol for Ottawa, which also includes Connor Brown, Victor Mete, Austin Watson, Nick Holden, Dylan Gambrell, Josh Brown, and assistant coach Jack Capuano. That is a huge chunk of the team, including several important pieces. The Senators are scheduled to play the Los Angeles Kings this evening, before welcoming in the Pittsburgh Penguins and Calgary Flames for a back-to-back over the weekend.
The team did not confirm whether Formenton and Murray tested positive, only that they have been entered into the protocol.
In terms of call-ups, Thomson is certainly an interesting one given his experience to this point. The 21-year-old defenseman has yet to play a game at the NHL level, but is showing well in the minor leagues. Selected 19th overall in 2019, he has two points in six games with the Belleville Senators this season.
Minor Transactions: 10/9/21
It has been a busy day on the transactions front as some teams have pulled up previously cut players to round out their roster for their final preseason games while other players will be looking to catch on either in the minors or overseas. Here’s a rundown of those moves.
- The Senators announced (Twitter links) that they’ve recalled defensemen Dillon Heatherington, Mark Kastelic, and Lassi Thomson plus winger Egor Sokolov from AHL Belleville. All four were previously cut in training camp but will be on the roster for their preseason finale against Toronto tonight.
- With Cam Talbot unavailable due to a personal matter, the Wild announced that they’ve recalled goaltender Andrew Hammond from AHL Iowa. He’ll serve as Kaapo Kahkonen’s backup for their preseason finale in Chicago.
- Vegas’ AHL affiliate in Henderson revealed (Twitter link) that the Golden Knights have brought up forwards Jonas Rondbjerg and Jake Leschyshyn from the Silver Knights for their final preseason game tonight versus San Jose.
- Greg McKegg gets another look with the Rangers as Rick Carpinello of The Athletic notes (Twitter link) that the veteran forward has been recalled for tonight’s game against the Islanders. McKegg returned to New York this season after spending 2020-21 with Boston.
- After having his contract terminated by Winnipeg last month, Joona Luoto is heading back home as Tappara in the SM-liiga announced that they’ve inked the 24-year-old to a one-year deal. Luoto played in Tappara’s program – his hometown team – before making the jump to North America in 2019 where he played in 16 games with the Jets.
- Marko Dano’s two-month tryout in Trinec was a successful one as the Czech squad announced they’ve extended his contract for the rest of the season. The 26-year-old was non-tendered by Winnipeg this summer after not seeing any NHL action for the first time in his professional career.
- Kunlun Red Star of the KHL announced (Twitter link) that they’ve signed winger Cliff Pu to a one-year deal. The 23-year-old wrapped up his entry-level contract last season, recording 10 points in 16 games with AHL Cleveland but was non-tendered by Columbus this summer.
- Veteran winger Brandon Mashinter has decided to call it a career and has joined Jacksonville of the ECHL as an assistant coach. The 33-year-old played in parts of four NHL seasons with the Sharks, Rangers, and Blackhawks, notching five points and 50 PIMS in 64 games. Mashinter spent last season in Slovakia after a two-year stint in Germany.
- After clearing waivers, Sonny Milano has been reassigned to the AHL by the Anaheim Ducks. Milano played in just eight games total last season, two of which were with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. It seems like that total could increase considerably this season unless the Ducks decide he is worthy of a recall at some point.
- The Dallas Stars have demoted defenseman Andreas Borgman to AHL Texas. However, with 36 players still on their training camp roster, the team has a ways to go. Borgman, 26, suited up for seven games with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season but appears to be no better than tenth on the Stars’ depth chart.
Prospect Notes: Thomson, Mysak, Wilkes-Barre
The Ottawa Senators have loaned Lassi Thomson back to his Finnish club for the start of the 2020-21 season to get the young defenseman playing in meaningful games. Thomson, the 19th overall pick from 2019, signed his entry-level contract last year but spent the season playing in Finland with Ilves. Even suiting up at that level as a teenager is impressive, but Thomson recorded 13 points in 39 games while also logging big minutes for the World Junior club. Senators GM Pierre Dorion explains why he’ll be back in Finland to start the season:
Playing league games is beneficial to any young player’s development. To Lassi’s credit, he expressed a desire to do so and it’s something that we very much support. Starting the year with the same Finnish team for which he (Thomson) played last season provides him with his best preparation opportunity ahead of our next training camp.
The important note is ahead of training camp, when Thomson will likely be back on North American ice to show the Senators up close what he can do. As with any rebuilding team, there will be opportunity galore for young players with the kind of upside Thomson possesses, but with plenty of other names on the depth chart he’ll have to really show he’s ready before they burn a year of his entry-level contract by putting him in NHL games.
- After playing a half-season for the Hamilton Bulldogs of the OHL, Jan Mysak will be returning to the Czech Republic for the time being. The 2020 draft prospect scored 25 points in 22 games for Hamilton after coming over midseason and could potentially be picked in the first round come October. NHL Central Scouting ranked him the 28th best skater in North America, but he’ll be back overseas to prepare for his professional career.
- The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have signed Felix Robert and Luke Stevens to AHL contracts for 2020-21, bringing in a pair of prospects that have aged-out of their respective amateur programs. Robert was a linemate of Penguins prospect Samuel Poulin this season with the Sherbrooke Phoenix of the QMJHL and led the team in scoring with 92 points in just 46 games. The 21-year old went undrafted but used his experience to dominate the competition this season even standing just 5’8″. Stevens meanwhile was a fifth-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015 but failed to sign a contract with them and became an unrestricted free agent last weekend. Through his four years at Yale, he recorded 35 points in 101 games.
East Notes: Tortorella, Senators, Hajek
Following his latest rant about officiating over the weekend, it was only a matter of time before Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella received a fine from the league. That came down today as the league announced that they’ve fined him $20K plus an additional conditional fine of $25K should there be another similar outburst between now and December 29th of this year which basically places him on press conference probation. The conditional element is a rather unique one but perhaps it’s justified as this is the twelfth time that Tortorella has been subject to discipline from the league – three suspensions and nine fines.
More from the Eastern Conference:
- The Senators appear to be getting one of their injured defensemen back for Thursday’s game against Florida. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch notes (Twitter link) that defenseman Nikita Zaitsev is likely to return after missing the last seven games due to a lower-body injury. However, Ron Hainsey is likely to miss at least another week. Meanwhile, netminder Anders Nilsson has resumed skating after being diagnosed with a concussion following his last start back on December 16th.
- Still with Ottawa, GM Pierre Dorion told Garrioch that they expect defense prospect Lassi Thomson to return to North America next season. Thomson was selected 19th overall by the Senators back in June out of Kelowna of the WHL but opted not to return there and instead returned to Ilves of the SM-liiga this season on loan. Thomson is currently at the World Juniors where he captains Team Finland and collected three assists through the opening round of the tournament.
- While Rangers defenseman Libor Hajek is a part of their future core on the back end, he hasn’t finished his time in the AHL just yet. Head coach David Quinn told reporters, including Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post, that the 21-year-old is likely going to be assigned to AHL Hartford once he’s cleared to return from his current knee injury that has held him out of the last dozen games. Hajek has at least resumed skating so his return may not be too far away.
NHL Draft Picks Participating In The World Junior Championship
The 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship is underway from Ostrava and Trinec in the Czech Republic. The tournament began today and will run through the championship game on January 5th. Each of the NHL’s 31 teams has at least one representative at the WJC. Five teams have only one draft pick participating, while the Los Angeles Kings (9) and Arizona Coyotes (7) each have more than those teams combined. However, it only takes one player and one moment to make history at the WJC. Check out which future NHLers will have that chance this year:
Anaheim Ducks (2):
G Lukas Dostal, Czech Republic
F Trevor Zegras, USA
Arizona Coyotes (7):
F Barrett Hayton, Canada
F Jan Jenik, Czech Republic
F Matias Maccelli, Finland
D Aku Raty, Finland
D Victor Soderstrom, Sweden
F Valentin Nussbaumer, Switzerland
D Ty Emberson, USA
Boston Bruins (3):
F Jakub Lauko, Czech Republic
F John Beecher, USA
F Curtis Hall, USA
Buffalo Sabres (4):
F Dylan Cozens, Canada
F Matej Pekar, Czech Republic
G Erik Portillo, Sweden
D Mattias Samuelsson, USA
Calgary Flames (1):
G Dustin Wolf, USA
Carolina Hurricanes (5):
D Anttoni Honka, Finland
F Lenni Killinen, Finland
F Patrik Puistola, Finland
F Dominik Bokk, Germany
F Jack Drury, USA
Chicago Blackhawks (2):
F Antti Saarela, Finland
F Michal Teply, Czech Republic
Colorado Avalanche (4):
D Bowen Byram, Canada
G Justus Annunen, Finland
F Sampo Ranta, Finland
D Daniil Zhuravlyov, Russia
Columbus Blue Jackets (4):
F Liam Foudy, Canada
F Kirill Marchenko, Russia
F Dmitri Voronkov, Russia
D Tim Berni, Switzerland
Dallas Stars (3):
F Ty Dellandrea, Canada
F Oskar Back, Sweden
F Albin Eriksson, Sweden
Detroit Red Wings (5):
D Jared McIsaac, Canada
F Joseph Veleno, Canada
D Moritz Seider, Germany
F Jonatan Berggren, Sweden
F Jesper Eliasson, Sweden
Edmonton Oilers (4):
F Raphael Lavoie, Canada
G Olivier Rodrigue, Canada
F Matej Blumel, Czech Republic
D Philip Broberg, Sweden
Florida Panthers (3):
Justin Schutz, Germany
F Grigori Denisenko, Russia
G Spencer Knight, USA
Los Angeles Kings (9):
F Aidan Dudas, Canada
F Akil Thomas, Canada
F Lukas Parik, Czech Republic
F Rasmus Kupari, Finland
D Kim Nousiainen, Finland
D Tobias Bjornfot, Sweden
F Samuel Fagemo, Sweden
F Arthur Kaliyev, USA
F Alex Turcotte, USA
Minnesota Wild (1):
F Alexander Khovanov, Russia
Montreal Canadiens (4):
D Alexander Romanov, Russia
D Mattias Norlinder, Sweden
F Cole Caufield, USA
D Jordan Harris, USA
Nashville Predators (1):
D Spencer Stastney, USA
New Jersey Devils (5):
D Kevin Bahl, Canada
D Ty Smith, Canada
D Daniil Misyul, Russia
F Nikola Pasic, Sweden
G Akira Schmid, Switzerland
New York Islanders (2):
F Jacob Pivonka, USA
F Oliver Wahlstrom, USA
New York Rangers (5):
D Nico Gross, Switzerland
F Karl Henriksson, Sweden
D Nils Lundkvist, Sweden
D Zachary Jones, USA
D K’Andre Miller, USA
Ottawa Senators (3):
D Jacob Bernard-Docker, Canada
D Lassi Thomson, Finland
F Shane Pinto, USA
Philadelphia Flyers (4):
F Egor Zamula, Russia
D Adam Ginning, Sweden
F Bobby Brink, USA
D Cameron York, USA
Pittsburgh Penguins (1):
D Calen Addison, Canada
San Jose Sharks (1):
Santeri Hatakka, Finland
St. Louis Blues (2):
G Joel Hofer, Canada
F Nikita Alexandrov, Russia
Tampa Bay Lightning (3):
F Nolan Foote, Canada
F Maxim Cajkovic, Czech Republic
G Hugo Alnefelt, Sweden
Toronto Maple Leafs (3):
D Mikko Kokkonen, Finland
D Rasmus Sandin, Sweden
F Nicholas Robertson, USA
Vancouver Canucks (4):
F Karel Plasek, Czech Republic
D Toni Utunen, Finland
F Vasily Podkolzin, Russia
F Nils Hoglander, Sweden
Vegas Golden Knights (3):
F Pavel Dorofeyev, Russia
F Ivan Morozov, Russia
G Isaiah Saville, USA
Washington Capitals (2):
F Connor McMichael, Canada
D Martin Has, Czech Republic
Winnipeg Jets (2):
F David Gustafsson, Sweden
D Ville Heinola, Finland
WJC Notes: Groulx, Thomson, Ford
Team Canada has finalized its roster for the upcoming U-20 World Junior Championship, hosted this year by the Czech Republic. The team has made one last cut, and TSN’s Mark Masters reports that it is Anaheim Ducks prospect Benoit-Olivier Groulx. Groulx, a 2018 second-round pick, has been having yet another strong season in the QMJHL and doing so on a poor Halifax Mooseheads team. The two-way pivot is likely a victim of a roster chock full of centers, with many already slated to line up on the wing. With “Bo” heading home, Masters has also shared Team Canada’s practice lines with their roster finalized, which is likely the way that they will line up to begin the tournament.
- Team Finland, looking to defend their championship performance from last year, has announced their leadership group for the WJC. Ottawa Senators 2019 first-round pick Lassi Thomson has been named captain, leading the team as their top defenseman. Thomson brings an array of experience to the squad, having played professionally in Finland this year, recording ten points in 23 games on loan with Ilves of the Liiga, as well as the junior level with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets last season. Given the Senators’ issues on the blue line, Thomson is a strong candidate to join the NHL ranks next season and his WJC performance could be telling of where he stands versus other elite prospects. Los Angeles Kings forward prospect Rasmus Kupari and Vancouver Canucks defensive prospect Toni Utunen will sere as alternates.
- Even after making a trio of cuts on Wednesday, Team USA still has a few tough decisions to make. For now, a few surprises remain on the roster, hopeful that they will get a chance to shine on the international stage. Overage prospect Parker Ford headlines that group, looking to make a name for himself after getting passed over in the NHL Draft. The Providence College freshman forward was a good if unspectacular player in the USHL, but has gotten off to a strong start in his NCAA career with 14 points in 17 games. Ford would be an intriguing name to watch for the Americans if he does in fact make the final roster. Other potential surprise inclusions on the roster include New York Islanders seventh-round defenseman Christian Krygier of Michigan State, Boston Bruins fourth-round center Curtis Hall of Yale, and Notre Dame teammates Jacob Pivonka and Trevor Janicke, late picks of the Islanders and Anaheim Ducks respectively.
Senators Notes: Nilsson, Hainsey, Prospects
The Ottawa Senators will be without Anders Nilsson for a while, as GM Pierre Dorion told TSN radio that the goaltender has suffered a concussion. Nilsson has been excellent for the the Senators this season even with a leaky defense corps, putting up a .909 save percentage and 9-9-2 record.
Craig Anderson will be back in the net for the Senators, but Nilsson is going on injured reserve.
- The team also is dealing with a minor injury to Ron Hainsey, after the 38-year old logged at least 24 minutes in each of his last four games. Hainsey is going to be out until after Christmas, a tough break for a Senators group that is already missing Nikita Zaitsev and Dylan DeMelo. Maxime Lajoie will be recalled to give them another option on the roster.
- Still, that leaves the Senators without many healthy defensemen on NHL contracts in the organization. With that in mind, Dorion admitted that they are considering recalling Lassi Thomson or Olle Alsing, who are both playing in Europe. While the team obviously doesn’t want to give up future assets for NHL players right now, they may be forced to if the injuries continue.
Finland’s WJC Roster Filled With NHL Prospects
The IIHF World Junior tournament is just around the corner now that the calendar has turned to December and the involved countries will soon start to release training camp rosters. Finland is the first to do just that as today they announced a group of 36 players that will compete for a chance to represent their country on the world stage. Finland has continued to develop as a hockey nation every year, supplying the NHL with high-end talent like Kaapo Kakko, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Miro Heiskanen and Patrik Laine in recent drafts.
The full team, with their NHL affiliate in parenthesis:
Goaltenders:
Justus Annunen (COL)
Jasper Patrikainen
Kari Piiroinen
Defense:
Santeri Hatakka (SJS)
Ville Heinola (WPG)
Anttoni Honka (CAR)
Mikko Kokkonen (TOR)
Miska Kukkonen (BUF)
Topi Niemela (2020 eligible)
Kim Nousiainen (LAK)
Axel Rindell
Peetro Seppala
Lassi Thomson (OTT)
Toni Utunen (VAN)
Forwards:
Leevi Aaltonen (NYR)
Eemil Erholtz
Aleks Haatanen
Roni Hirvonen (2020 eligible)
Lenni Killinen (CAR)
Otto Kivenmaki (DET)
Rasmus Kupari (LAK)
Anton Lundell (2020 eligible)
Matias Maccelli (ARI)
Henri Nikkanen (WPG)
Niklas Nordgren (CHI)
Joonas Oden
Mikko Petman
Ville Petman
Patrik Puistola (CAR)
Sampo Ranta (COL)
Aatu Raty (2021 eligible)
Aku Raty (ARI)
Antti Saarela (CHI)
Samuel Salonen
Patrik Siikanen (EDM)
Kristian Tanus
Ottawa Senators Seeking A Defenseman
Heading into this season, few would have expected the Ottawa Senators to be active buyers on the trade market. Few would have expected them to be a .500 team on November 23 as well, though. The Senators are playing well and their first substantial acquisition of the season, former New York Rangers forward Vladislav Namestnikov, has worked out nicely (although he’s currently injured). The team has been open about their desire to add more veteran pieces and, while previous reports indicated their preference was to acquire another forward, The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the team is now hoping to trade for a defenseman.
The Senators were not overly strong or deep on the blue line when the season began. Behind Thomas Chabot, it was mostly a unit composed of role players and unproven prospects. However, the situation has become even more dire due to injuries. Young Erik Brannstrom remains sidelined with a hand injury, depth defender Cody Goloubef left Friday night’s game with an undisclosed injury, Andreas Englund suffered an injury in the minors, and Christian Wolanin has yet to play this season as he returns from a shoulder injury. Nikita Zaitsev is also currently in his native Russia tending to personal matters. Garrioch writes that this left Ottawa no choice but to recall both Maxime Lajoie and Christian Jaros from the minors on Friday, leaving AHL Belleville with just two NHL prospects – first-year AHLers Lassi Thomson and Olle Alsing – and a defense corps otherwise composed of tryout players and ECHL call-ups. Clearly, Ottawa could use a blue line addition purely from a numbers perspective.
However, performance is also an issue on the blue line, particularly when it comes to scoring. Zaitsev, who is expected to return soon, has not contributed much offensively despite considerable ice time. Fellow former Maple Leaf Ron Hainsey and 2018-19 standout Dylan DeMelo have also been non-factors in the scoring department. This has left Chabot carrying the load and Mark Borowiecki contributing on offense, which has not typically been his strong suit. If the Senators are going to trade for a defenseman, they may as well target a player who can take on a regular role and assist the team offensively.
With that said, don’t expect Ottawa to target any of the big names on the rumor mill. While it would be comical for the Senators to add yet another former Toronto player, Tyson Barrie is likely not a target. Nor is New Jersey’s Sami Vatanen, Pittsburgh’s Justin Schultz, or Minnesota’s Jonas Brodin. The Senators will likely target upside at a low cost. Unsigned RFA Julius Honka of the Dallas Stars seems like an intriguing option, so long as they can swing a deal before the December 1st signing deadline. An impending UFA, like Namestnikov, would also make sense for the Senators, who could flip that player at the trade deadline if need be. Chicago’s Erik Gustafsson, L.A.’s Ben Hutton, and San Jose’s Radim Simek are all interesting options. Detroit’s Mike Green, who has name value but disappointing numbers so far this season, could also be a potential buy low/sell high candidate if he could turn his game around. There are plenty of options available for the Senators to make a move, but the question remains when and who.